Crowds line streets for Bobbi-Anne McLeod’s funeral
A horse-drawn carriage took the 18-year-old’s coffin from her home in Leigham, Plymouth, to St Andrew’s Church in Royal Parade.
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Your support makes all the difference.Hundreds of people have paid tribute to teenager Bobbi-Anne McLeod at her funeral six months after her murder.
A horse-drawn carriage took the 18-year-old’s coffin from her home in Leigham, Plymouth, to St Andrew’s Church in Royal Parade.
Members of the public lined the streets in Leigham to say goodbye and hundreds of people filled the church for the 40-minute service, which was led by Rev Joe Dent.
Miss McLeod’s family had asked mourners to wear black trousers and T-shirts featuring rock bands, such as Queen, ACDC, Oasis and Pink Floyd, in honour of the popular student. Many also wore turquoise-coloured ribbons on their T-shirts.
Among the congregation were Lord Mayor of Plymouth Sue Dann, senior police officers and local Conservative MP Johnny Mercer.
The teenager’s turquoise coffin, which had “Bobbi” written on the side, was carried into the church by pallbearers, and her family, including her parents Adrian and Donna and brother Lee, followed behind.
A single red rose and personal tributes to Miss McLeod had been placed on top of the coffin.
As the hearse left the church, people outside broke out into a spontaneous round of applause.
Miss McLeod was murdered in November last year by Cody Ackland, 24, who attacked her with a claw hammer as she waited for a bus.
The musician, who was obsessed with serial killers, then bundled the teenager into his car and drove to a remote spot on Dartmoor where he murdered her, before dumping her body near Bovisand.
Last week, Ackland, from Plymouth, who admitted murder, was jailed for life with a minimum term of 31 years but was told he may never be released.
In a victim impact statement, Miss McLeod’s family said: “Our lives have changed forever. We have not been able to say goodbye to Bobbi-Anne and we can only imagine the things he did to her – the thoughts are continually going around in our minds.
“Why Bobbi-Anne? Why make her suffer? To know her final hours were spent being tortured destroys us inside.”